1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutter, a method of making a cutter and an apparatus for shaping and cutting the end of a tape.
2. Description of the Related Art
For such a purpose of simplifying the operations of applying sheet-like members, a laminated sheet has recently been used in various applications. The laminated sheet includes a self-adhesive sheet which comprises a base sheet, a pressure-sensitive adhesive applied onto the base sheet and a release paper disposed on the adhesive.
We have attempted to develop an electronic information processor known as a tape printing apparatus as shown in FIG. 1. A sheet having the aforementioned structure is severed into a tape having a width of 5 mm to 40 mm. The tape is coiled into a roll which is in turn disposed in a tape cartridge. The tape cartridge is received in the tape printing apparatus.
The tape is delivered out by a tape delivery mechanism. The necessary letters are printed on the substrate surface of the delivered tape by an operator through a keyboard. Thereafter, the delivered tape is cut away into the necessary length.
Plan and enlarged side views of the self-adhesive tape 5 with release paper used in such an apparatus are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively.
After release paper 9 has been stripped from the self-adhesive tape 5, its base sheet 7 having a pressure-sensitive adhesive 8 is applied to a requisite place to display letters printed thereon.
Such a display is more attractive than hand written letters. Since the tape can be applied to any requisite place without application of the any adhesive, an user will not be contaminated and can more rapidly perform the necessary operation. For such a usefulness, the self-adhesive tape with release paper is now being used over a wide range from business use to home use.
Such a self-adhesive tape 5 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is linearly cut by a known cutter which is disposed adjacent to the tape delivery slit 4 of the tape printing apparatus 1.
When the self-adhesive tape 5 is linearly cut by the cutter, the cut tape has such a rectangular contour as shown in FIG. 2. Such a rectangular contour is not only hard but also uniform in appearance. It has been frequently desired that the cut tape have a soft appearance.
When the self-adhesive tape is cut into a rectangular configuration and is applied to a member, the rectangular tape end is likely to be separated from the member at its corners.
To avoid such a problem, one approach may effectively be made so that the rectangular cut end of the self-adhesive tape 5 is chamfered or rounded as shown in FIG. 4.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-22654 discloses a cutter which has a shape formed into the configuration of the tape end to be cut, the cutter being pressed against the tape to cut the tape end into a desired configuration.
In such a structure, however, it is difficult to cut a part of the tape by utilizing a so-called shear angle like known scissors since the cutter is pressed against the tape to be cut. Moreover, since the tape end is at once cut through the whole width thereof, the pressing force must be substantially strong. Otherwise, the whole thickness of the tape end can not be cut through the whole width thereof. However, an unreasonable pressing force to the cutter is likely to raise a problem in durability.
These problems are promoted in cutting a laminated sheet such as the self-adhesive tape 5 rather than a simple sheet of paper, since the thickness of the laminated sheet is larger and the adhesive functions as a cushion.
Furthermore, many types of cutters must be provided for various widths of tape. A structure for selecting and driving one cutter will be complicated with an increased cost. It is further difficult to deal with variability in tape width. In such a case, the chamfered or rounded right- and left-hand corners in the cut tape end became unbalance, leading to an unsatisfactory appearance in the cut tape end.